Not so fast. If you think you've dodged the sneezing, wheezing and coughing, remember the cold season isn't over yet -- and the allergy season is just starting.

Time to consider the supplements and herbal remedies in your prevention and treatment arsenal, says pharmacist and author Sherry Torkos, whose books include The Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Women's Health for Canadians and Breaking the Age Barrier.

Among the herbs and supplements she suggests:

- While echinacea has not been proven to prevent colds, take it to reduce the severity and duration of cold symptoms, preferably at the onset of cold symptoms. Echinacea is not recommended for people with autoimmune disorders such as lupus.

Cold FX is the only natural cold remedy with a Health Canada-approved claim that it helps reduce the frequency, severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms, says Torkos.

The regular strength capsule contains 200mg of CVT-E002, a patented form of North American ginseng standardized to polysaccharides. The extra strength capsules contain 300 mg of CVT-E002.

"You can buy ginseng in a bag, but you don't know how much you'll be getting," she says.

- Immunity FX contains reishi mushroom. Reishi and other Asian mushrooms are starting to get a lot of attention as immune boosters, says Torkos.

- Aged garlic extract is an odourless form of garlic that supports immune function by increasing activity of immune cells. She recommends one to two capsules of Kyolic twice daily.

- Probiotics, the friendly bacteria that are present in the digestive and urinary tracts, are found in fermented dairy products such as yogurt.

"So much of the immune system is in the gut," says Torkos, who advises looking for a supplement that provides at least one billion live cells and includes Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium.

"I think yogurt in general is great, but most yogurt doesn't give you an amount of active bacteria. You don't know how much you'll end up with."

Probiotics are especially important if you have taken an antibiotic in the past six months, she says. "Antibiotics can destroy the human flora system for up to six months."

- Vitamin C is an antioxidant that supports healthy immune function. Some studies show it may help reduce the duration and severity of colds. Torkos recommends taking 500 to 1,000 mg daily.

- De-stress with meditation, yoga, deep breathing or any other relaxation technique that works for you. A chronic increase in stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline can impair the activity of the immune system.

"As much as I'm into vitamins and supplements, I don't want people to think you can take a multi-vitamin and not watch what you eat," says Torkos.

- Go easy on the sugar.

Glucose, fructose, sucrose and any other form of sugar directly impairs immune function, says Torkos. In one study, within 30 minutes of ingesting a 100-gram portion of sugar, the subjects experienced reduced immune activity by 50 per cent for up to five hours. The average person consumes 150 grams of sucrose every day.

- And finally, bad housekeepers of the world can consider themselves vindicated. Children who grow up around dirt and animals are less likely to suffer from allergies.

Torkos sees more and more people integrating conventional and natural medicine.

It was her own struggle with celiac disease as a teen, which went undiagnosed for 10 years, that started Torkos down the road of nutrition, supplementation and natural medicine.

"It was horrible going through that, being a teenager. I got put on all the drugs and I just got sicker and sicker," she says. "I was so malnourished I became anemic. My hair didn't grow in years."

Things improved dramatically after she was diagnosed and embarked on a gluten-free diet. She became convinced of the role nutrition plays in health in pharmacy school.

Later, when Torkos worked in a medical clinic pharmacy, she started to introduce vitamins and minerals to the product offerings and began to speak to customers about the role of lifestyle interventions such as nutrition and reducing stress.

Now 42 and six months pregnant, Torkos is the picture of health and is working on a new book about women and heart disease with a cardiologist.

Torkos says it's always important to look at the evidence and the research behind health claims.

"As a pharmacist, my training is in science," she says.

"We can't just look at anecdotal evidence. We need to look at the science. Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's safe."

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